History and Traditions of Mardi Gras

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Mardi Gras refers to the culmination of events of the Carnival celebrations beginning on or after Epiphany and ending on Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras means “Fat Tuesday” when translated to English, in reference to the last night of consuming rich, fatty foods before the ritual of fasting that the Lenten season brings. The carnival is an important celebration for Catholic Europeans, such as the French, who brought the Mardi Gras to North America.

French Canadian Pierre D’Iberville and his men explored the Mississippi River from the Gulf of Mexico and in 1699, set up camp on the river’s West Bank, 60 miles south of present-day New Orleans. They christened it Pointe du Mardi Gras on Mardi Gras Day.